Cucurbite Wine

Cucurbitaceae fruits (melons, pumpkins, and squashes) can be used to make wine, though they are considered "advanced" projects in the winemaking world.

While they don't have the natural acidity or tannin of grapes, their high water content and unique sugars make them fascinating subjects for fermentation.

1. Watermelon Wine (The Summer Wine)1🩷

Watermelon is the most common cucurbit used in winemaking. It produces a light, pinkish wine that is famously refreshing but notoriously difficult to master.#2

• The Challenge: Watermelon juice is prone to "spoiling" or developing a "rotten" smell during early fermentation because it has almost no natural acidity to protect it from bad bacteria.

• The Solution: Winemakers must add Acid Blend (citric, tartaric, and malic acids) and tannins immediately to stabilize the must.#3

2. Pumpkin Wine (The Autumn Wine)

Pumpkin wine is a cult favorite among homebrewers, often treated like a "Chardonnay of the garden."

• Character: When fermented, pumpkin doesn't actually taste like "pumpkin spice." It produces a savory, earthy, and full-bodied white wine.

• Preparation: Unlike berries, pumpkins are starchy. Winemakers usually grate the flesh and use Pectic Enzymes to break down the starches so the wine doesn't stay cloudy.#4 It is almost always aged with spices like ginger, cinnamon, and clove.#5

3. Muskmelon & Cantaloupe Wine

These melons have a very high aromatic profile.

• Aromatics: The goal here is to capture the "musky" floral scent. These wines are usually made as Dessert Wines (higher sugar) because the delicate melon flavor disappears if the wine is fermented completely dry.

• Texture: They tend to be "slippery" or viscous on the palate, which provides a luxurious mouthfeel.

4. Cucumber Wine

Believe it or not, cucumber wine (and cucumber mead, known as a "melomel") is a niche craft.

• Taste: It is exceptionally crisp and vegetal. It’s rarely drunk on its own; instead, it's used as a base for summer cocktails or blended with mint and lime to create a "Gimlet-style" fermented beverage.

Why they are "Tricky" for Winemakers1🩷

If you decide to try making wine from the Cucurbit family, you need to account for these three factors:

1. Low Acid: Most cucurbits have a pH near 5.0–6.0 (very low acid). For wine to be shelf-stable and taste "bright," you need to bring that pH down to about 3.2–3.4 using lemon juice or acid powder.

2. High Water, Low Sugar: A watermelon is about 92% water. To get to a standard 12% ABV, you will have to add a significant amount of extra sugar (chaptalization).

3. The "Rind" Flavor: If you include the green parts of the rind, the wine can take on a bitter, "swampy" flavor.🩷6 Winemakers are careful to use only the heart of the fruit.

Next: A basic "Starting Recipe" for a Watermelon or Pumpkin wine to see how the ingredients differ from grape wine?

Making wine from the Cucurbitaceae family is a rewarding challenge. Because these fruits are mostly water and low in acid, the recipes below focus on stabilization and flavor enhancement.

Both recipes are scaled for a 1-gallon (approx. 3.8 liter) batch.1🩷

1. Summer Watermelon Wine

This wine is light and crisp. The key is to use only the red "heart" of the melon—any white or green parts will make the wine taste like grass.2🩷

Ingredients

• Juice: 3 quarts (approx. 2.8 liters) of fresh watermelon juice (requires about 15–18 lbs of melon).3🩷

• Sugar: 2 lbs (about 4 cups) to reach roughly 12% ABV.3🩷

• Acid: 2 tsp Acid Blend (or 2 tbsp lemon juice).3🩷

• Tannin: 1/2 cup strong black tea (steeped for 10 mins) or 1/8 tsp tannin powder.3🩷

• Yeast: 1 packet Champagne yeast (e.g., Lalvin EC-1118 or Pasteur Champagne).4🩷

• Yeast Nutrient: 1 tsp (highly recommended as watermelon is nutrient-poor).5🩷

• Preservative: 1 Campden tablet (crushed) to kill wild bacteria.4🩷

Instructions

1. Extract Juice: Cube the melon, removing all rind and seeds.6🩷 Mash or lightly blend, then strain through a fine mesh bag to get clear juice.7🩷

2. Sanitize: Add the juice, sugar, acid, tannin, and crushed Campden tablet to your primary fermenter. Stir until sugar dissolves. Wait 24 hours.

3. Pitch Yeast: Sprinkle the yeast and nutrient over the liquid.3🩷 Cover with a cloth.

4. Primary Ferment: Stir daily for 5–7 days.

5. Secondary Ferment: Siphon (rack) the liquid into a glass carboy, leaving sediment behind.3🩷 Attach an airlock.

6. Clear & Age: Let sit for 4–6 weeks until clear.8🩷 Siphon again into a clean jug. Age for at least 6 months before drinking—watermelon wine takes time to lose its "yeasty" edge.

2. Spiced Pumpkin "Chardonnay"

Pumpkin wine doesn't taste like pumpkin pie naturally; it's earthy and savory. We add spices to give it that classic autumn warmth.

Ingredients

• Pumpkin: 5 lbs fresh pumpkin flesh (peeled and grated/shredded).9🩷

• Raisins: 1 lb golden raisins (chopped) for body and "mouthfeel."

• Sugar: 3 lbs (approx. 6 cups) white sugar.

• Water: 1 gallon boiling water.

• Spices: 1 cinnamon stick, 1 inch sliced ginger, 3 whole cloves.

• Acid: 3 tsp Acid Blend.

• Yeast: 1 packet White Wine yeast (e.g., Lalvin D47 or K1-V1116).

• Enzyme: 1 tsp Pectic Enzyme (essential to prevent pumpkin haze).10🩷

Instructions

1. The Must: Place grated pumpkin, raisins, and spices in a fermentation bucket.11🩷 Pour the boiling water over them. Let sit overnight.

2. Prep: Add sugar, acid, and pectic enzyme. Stir well.

3. Ferment: Add the yeast. Cover with a cloth and stir daily for 3–5 days. The pumpkin will turn to a mushy pulp.

4. Strain: Pour the mixture through a heavy straining bag, squeezing out every drop of juice. Discard the solids.

5. Secondary: Siphon the liquid into a glass carboy with an airlock.12🩷

6. Wait: Pumpkin wine is notorious for taking a long time to clear. Rack it every 3 months. It is best enjoyed after 1 full year of aging.

Winemaker's Warning

The "Stink" Factor: Watermelon wine can sometimes produce a "sulfur" (rotten egg) smell during the first few days. This is usually due to yeast stress. If this happens, stir the wine vigorously to introduce oxygen and add an extra 1/2 tsp of yeast nutrient.